THE 3 MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES FOR SUCCESS IN LIFE
Once upon a time…
There was a young boy named Lefty. Around the age of 8 – no one really knows HOW old he was because he was not actually a boy, but rather a brain, an idea – he was very chipper and happy.
Lefty had lived his life with a single parent and an abundance of friends. At his young age he was happy, outgoing, social, and most of all NAÏVE.
Lefty trotted through most of his days being pleasant and care free. And one day, a little girl at his elementary school asked him
“Lefty! Why is it that you’re always so cheerful and content?”
Lefty replied with an ignorant blank grin
“I don’t know, I simply am”
The girl smiled and raced back to her friends to gossip about how desirable the young Lefty was.
This day was like all other days Lefty had lived. He was smiling and happy, and was liked by everyone in school. All the other boys liked him, and some even tried to BE him. And the girls…
Well…
When Lefty had to leave class early for an appointment, the girls would all rush out of their seats to say goodbye to him and give him a big hug; Infatuation.
Lefty was truly loved. Yet, what a naïve love it was, because he had no clue why.
The days following passed on like all others. Lefty was as carefree as he was liked. Sure…there may have been those who disliked Lefty, but who would have noticed? Surely not him. He was too busy playing tag on the playground and studying in the classroom.
Lefty was smart, and he truly did love learning. But sometimes he overlooked the importance. For you see, he did not know why he was learning, or for what purpose he loved to learn. In a way, he was forced to love to learn. He was intelligent because his father forced him to study. Or did his father force him to study because he was intelligent? Still, he didn’t mind, because he was happy. It seemed that he was “doing” for a purpose unknown. He was not aware of why he learned. And this it seems would be his downfall…
The years continued as such, until it was finally time for a change…
In the blink of an eye, the young Lefty was torn apart from those that he knew. The days had come for him to enter…
Middle school.
But not just any middle school, this was an accelerated middle school located in the heart of a high school. None of Lefty’s previous peers had made it into the school. And so he entered…alone.
But still he didn’t mind!
As intelligent as he was, he didn’t give a thought to loosing old friends, or gaining new ones. Instead, he was
“simply being”.
Thrust into a completely new environment, Lefty was impervious
He continued as he did, and did so continue, and sooner than not, he had friends once again.
But this time, something seemed strange, rather, something seemed out of the ordinary.
It was not something that can be felt or touched, but a kind of essence, maybe.
Lefty tried momentarily to think about it, to discover what it was, but soon forgot as he was playfully elbowed by his friend at the lunch table.
There were 6 seats at a table, most filled with 2 small kids eating and bonding together as one. Lefty was the only male at a table filled with 10 females, and there wasn’t a single one of them that didn’t like the idea of Lefty.
So, most days continued as such and the months passed by in a flicker.
Lefty continued to get A’s in his courses, he continued to be happy, and he continued to be loved.
But once again, the unexplainable knot pulling at the Lefty’s heart, the raw sensation tickling his brain was teasing him. He usually just brushed it away without any thought…but it continued to poke at him through the weeks, the months, and even to his next year of school, seemingly occurring in an exponential format every time he felt it.
And then, like a smack in the face, like the jolting pain of a needle delivered by a doctor, Lefty opened his eyes for the first time…
Into his second year of middle school, approximately grade 8, Lefty was still happy. He talked to his friends in school and flirted with girls in the classroom. He would go home, study, and maybe go play with his friends from elementary school. He had reconnected with them during the middle half of grade 7, and had been hanging out with them ever since, most days of the week.
These were the only peers he would hang out with.
One girl in particular, Lefty had his eye on. He had actually had his eye on her for some time. They talked in school and flirted over wireless messages. And Lefty was naïve.
This day, this very day….this was the day of the Girl’s birthday party. She had rented a hotel room with a pool, and invited all of her friends – luckily, or unluckily, the Lefty was included.
The night was slow. The Girl, Lefty, and 3 others were in the hotel room, casually conversing.
Oh how Lefty wanted the approval of the Girl
Lefty was naïve.
And then, at the very stroke of midnight it seemed, the party had arrived. Nearly 20 more children entered the room. All of which Lefty had acquainted with in school.
And Lefty was happy, and Lefty was naïve.
Lefty was preoccupied with the Girl, and then a sudden tornado hit the hotel room, and every one was gone, the Girl included. They had bounded down to the swimming pool and hot tub. And Lefty was left alone, blinking in silence.
Without thought he rushed to the hot tub and joined his comrades.
As he entered, he was acknowledged.
Yet to say he was included would be an overstatement.
The conversations continued, and like blood thirsty dogs, groups were formed, for the sake of competition, for the sake of playing a game and ousting the other team.
Lefty’s eyes followed the Girl and he tried to talk to her, but she was out of reach, she was on the grass with one of the groups, transfixed on another male
Another group stood on the cement plotting a way to score
And a different group crouched on the pool steps, deciding when to strike
And although there was no final group to be seen, it was assumed that they were lurking on the premise
The Lefty was left alone in the center of the hot tub.
Another tornado struck just then, and like a butterfly in a jar with no lid, the groups were gone.
The Lefty was left alone in the center of the hot tub…
The Girl was back in the room with the Guy.
And then, like a smack in the face, like the jolting pain of a needle delivered by a doctor, Lefty opened his eyes for the first time. Just like a newborn child.
He was no longer naïve.
Lefty could see the binding chains on himself, and all those around him…
It was almost a state of panic, of coursing pain and astonishment at the world before him.
The Lefty finally became aware, and the multitude of thoughts running through his mind were so copious, that his brain hurt, his forehead was hot, and his Adam’s apple had grown 2 sizes, nearly choking him as he gasped for air.
The Lefty realized that he was not completely loved. He realized that he was aware. He realized that he was not influential. And he realized that he did not like it. He was unhappy.
He realized that he was alone.
What could have gone wrong? What could have happened? He was alone!
Well, there were many reasons that Lefty could not think of – he was aware – and those reasons were plentiful.
Lefty returned to school the following day, if it could be called that, without his eye patch. The only words he could find to describe it were...“small talk”. Lefty was only initiating small talk. Lefty was funny and kind and cool, but he was only initiating small talk.
He did not understand social interactions, but now he was starting to, he did not understand body language, but now he was starting to, he was not “simply being”…
And oh how he yearned to be simply being again,
But he was not…he was aware!
Lefty’s days were now full of sporadic thoughts, ‘how this’, ‘why that’, ‘how to do this’, ‘what to say to that?’
And Lefty no longer kept up with his acquaintances at school, though it hardly mattered since they were only…acquaintances.
The Lefty had been wounded like a boar with a spear through its belly, and it was yearning to return to its normal state.
The next two years continued as such…
Lefty was now in what one would call year 10 of high school, a sophomore.
Lefty’s thoughts were filled specifically with: “ok now do what”, “say this now! no this! now…”, “do that!”
Lefty was at lunch, deep in thought, but this time what jerked him back to reality was not a playful shove of an elbow, but an observation. The Lefty was no longer the only male at the table. In fact, there were now many more males, including the Guy that the Girl seemed to madly crave, while Lefty was left craving the Girl. It is odd because as was previously true, the females loved the idea of Lefty, but they did not seem to love the Lefty.
Lefty was no longer happy…
Lefty longed to return to those Golden Days when he was only a young boy that everyone was so infatuated with, to the times when he was the happy, naïve star.
Pondering thought after thought Lefty began to think, and he continued to think, and he continued to research. He thought while he researched and he researched while he thought until finally he thought he had found what he was looking for.
Once upon a time…
There was a young boy named Lefty. Around the age of 8 – no one really knows HOW old he was because he was not actually a boy, but rather a brain, an idea – he was very chipper and happy.
Lefty had lived his life with a single parent and an abundance of friends. At his young age he was happy, outgoing, social, and most of all NAÏVE.
Lefty trotted through most of his days being pleasant and care free. And one day, a little girl at his elementary school asked him
“Lefty! Why is it that you’re always so cheerful and content?”
Lefty replied with an ignorant blank grin
“I don’t know, I simply am”
The girl smiled and raced back to her friends to gossip about how desirable the young Lefty was.
This day was like all other days Lefty had lived. He was smiling and happy, and was liked by everyone in school. All the other boys liked him, and some even tried to BE him. And the girls…
Well…
When Lefty had to leave class early for an appointment, the girls would all rush out of their seats to say goodbye to him and give him a big hug; Infatuation.
Lefty was truly loved. Yet, what a naïve love it was, because he had no clue why.
The days following passed on like all others. Lefty was as carefree as he was liked. Sure…there may have been those who disliked Lefty, but who would have noticed? Surely not him. He was too busy playing tag on the playground and studying in the classroom.
Lefty was smart, and he truly did love learning. But sometimes he overlooked the importance. For you see, he did not know why he was learning, or for what purpose he loved to learn. In a way, he was forced to love to learn. He was intelligent because his father forced him to study. Or did his father force him to study because he was intelligent? Still, he didn’t mind, because he was happy. It seemed that he was “doing” for a purpose unknown. He was not aware of why he learned. And this it seems would be his downfall…
The years continued as such, until it was finally time for a change…
In the blink of an eye, the young Lefty was torn apart from those that he knew. The days had come for him to enter…
Middle school.
But not just any middle school, this was an accelerated middle school located in the heart of a high school. None of Lefty’s previous peers had made it into the school. And so he entered…alone.
But still he didn’t mind!
As intelligent as he was, he didn’t give a thought to loosing old friends, or gaining new ones. Instead, he was
“simply being”.
Thrust into a completely new environment, Lefty was impervious
He continued as he did, and did so continue, and sooner than not, he had friends once again.
But this time, something seemed strange, rather, something seemed out of the ordinary.
It was not something that can be felt or touched, but a kind of essence, maybe.
Lefty tried momentarily to think about it, to discover what it was, but soon forgot as he was playfully elbowed by his friend at the lunch table.
There were 6 seats at a table, most filled with 2 small kids eating and bonding together as one. Lefty was the only male at a table filled with 10 females, and there wasn’t a single one of them that didn’t like the idea of Lefty.
So, most days continued as such and the months passed by in a flicker.
Lefty continued to get A’s in his courses, he continued to be happy, and he continued to be loved.
But once again, the unexplainable knot pulling at the Lefty’s heart, the raw sensation tickling his brain was teasing him. He usually just brushed it away without any thought…but it continued to poke at him through the weeks, the months, and even to his next year of school, seemingly occurring in an exponential format every time he felt it.
And then, like a smack in the face, like the jolting pain of a needle delivered by a doctor, Lefty opened his eyes for the first time…
Into his second year of middle school, approximately grade 8, Lefty was still happy. He talked to his friends in school and flirted with girls in the classroom. He would go home, study, and maybe go play with his friends from elementary school. He had reconnected with them during the middle half of grade 7, and had been hanging out with them ever since, most days of the week.
These were the only peers he would hang out with.
One girl in particular, Lefty had his eye on. He had actually had his eye on her for some time. They talked in school and flirted over wireless messages. And Lefty was naïve.
This day, this very day….this was the day of the Girl’s birthday party. She had rented a hotel room with a pool, and invited all of her friends – luckily, or unluckily, the Lefty was included.
The night was slow. The Girl, Lefty, and 3 others were in the hotel room, casually conversing.
Oh how Lefty wanted the approval of the Girl
Lefty was naïve.
And then, at the very stroke of midnight it seemed, the party had arrived. Nearly 20 more children entered the room. All of which Lefty had acquainted with in school.
And Lefty was happy, and Lefty was naïve.
Lefty was preoccupied with the Girl, and then a sudden tornado hit the hotel room, and every one was gone, the Girl included. They had bounded down to the swimming pool and hot tub. And Lefty was left alone, blinking in silence.
Without thought he rushed to the hot tub and joined his comrades.
As he entered, he was acknowledged.
Yet to say he was included would be an overstatement.
The conversations continued, and like blood thirsty dogs, groups were formed, for the sake of competition, for the sake of playing a game and ousting the other team.
Lefty’s eyes followed the Girl and he tried to talk to her, but she was out of reach, she was on the grass with one of the groups, transfixed on another male
Another group stood on the cement plotting a way to score
And a different group crouched on the pool steps, deciding when to strike
And although there was no final group to be seen, it was assumed that they were lurking on the premise
The Lefty was left alone in the center of the hot tub.
Another tornado struck just then, and like a butterfly in a jar with no lid, the groups were gone.
The Lefty was left alone in the center of the hot tub…
The Girl was back in the room with the Guy.
And then, like a smack in the face, like the jolting pain of a needle delivered by a doctor, Lefty opened his eyes for the first time. Just like a newborn child.
He was no longer naïve.
Lefty could see the binding chains on himself, and all those around him…
It was almost a state of panic, of coursing pain and astonishment at the world before him.
The Lefty finally became aware, and the multitude of thoughts running through his mind were so copious, that his brain hurt, his forehead was hot, and his Adam’s apple had grown 2 sizes, nearly choking him as he gasped for air.
The Lefty realized that he was not completely loved. He realized that he was aware. He realized that he was not influential. And he realized that he did not like it. He was unhappy.
He realized that he was alone.
What could have gone wrong? What could have happened? He was alone!
Well, there were many reasons that Lefty could not think of – he was aware – and those reasons were plentiful.
Lefty returned to school the following day, if it could be called that, without his eye patch. The only words he could find to describe it were...“small talk”. Lefty was only initiating small talk. Lefty was funny and kind and cool, but he was only initiating small talk.
He did not understand social interactions, but now he was starting to, he did not understand body language, but now he was starting to, he was not “simply being”…
And oh how he yearned to be simply being again,
But he was not…he was aware!
Lefty’s days were now full of sporadic thoughts, ‘how this’, ‘why that’, ‘how to do this’, ‘what to say to that?’
And Lefty no longer kept up with his acquaintances at school, though it hardly mattered since they were only…acquaintances.
The Lefty had been wounded like a boar with a spear through its belly, and it was yearning to return to its normal state.
The next two years continued as such…
Lefty was now in what one would call year 10 of high school, a sophomore.
Lefty’s thoughts were filled specifically with: “ok now do what”, “say this now! no this! now…”, “do that!”
Lefty was at lunch, deep in thought, but this time what jerked him back to reality was not a playful shove of an elbow, but an observation. The Lefty was no longer the only male at the table. In fact, there were now many more males, including the Guy that the Girl seemed to madly crave, while Lefty was left craving the Girl. It is odd because as was previously true, the females loved the idea of Lefty, but they did not seem to love the Lefty.
Lefty was no longer happy…
Lefty longed to return to those Golden Days when he was only a young boy that everyone was so infatuated with, to the times when he was the happy, naïve star.
Pondering thought after thought Lefty began to think, and he continued to think, and he continued to research. He thought while he researched and he researched while he thought until finally he thought he had found what he was looking for.
